Incubating with a heating pad???? Need Advice ASAP

[Teresaann24]

I heard of some people hatching eggs with a heating pad.

My cousin had 4 eggs that was under a game hen for 4 days. The hen left the nest and eggs he candled and all 4 eggs are developing. He does not have a incubator.

What he has is a medium tote with lid that he is thinking to cut a hole in lid and make a window covered by plastic he has one of those temp/humity readers He has a heating pad he placed the temp/humity reading in the heading pad. He also put in a tube of water and some sponges. He is waiting for the readings.

My question is what should the temp and humidity be AND is it possible to do this for 17 days and the eggs still hatch?

 

[griffin45]

Anything is possible. Check this thread out and you will believe it!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=124951

Chris

 

[Teresaann24]

Oh yes I have heard about that one I have even thought of making one of those myself in case of an emergancy with a broody.

 

[Teresaann24]

Anyone eles? I thought I had heard of a member hatching eggs with a Heating pad??

 

[Bettacreek]

I'm sure he could rig something up. I'm using flexwatt heat tape, which is similar to a human heat pad. Just make sure that he has a way to control the heat, like with a dimmer switch.

 

[Fox]

My friend only finished hatching some eggs on a heating pad, but I think it was the last couple days... I don't have much info on that. Sorry!

 

[willowcol]

I use a heating pad in the bottom of my igloo cooler as the heater. I just kept making air holes til the temp got to 100. It is important that its in a draft free room that has a stable temp at all times, but it will work.

 

[Teresaann24]

What I was thinking was maybe a plastic tote with a lid add the temp/hum Gauge in and folding the heating pad half on bottom half on top of eggs.

Adding a tube of water and testing temps if need making vent holes and just testing it. He is trying it out himself but I think I am going to try it myself too and see what happens for the fun of it.

To see if it will work and maybe i could use this as my little way for my kids to watch chicks hatch I really dont want to invest into a HUGE incubator nor have the money to invest in a small one. So I though some homemade one would work perfect for me.

 

[willowcol]

well just get a small strofoam cooler and lay it in the bottom. Place a small glass bowl on top put water in for humidity. make small stand covered in window screen or something similar afew inches above the bottom. turn on the pad I have mine on medium but its a big cooler, so low should work for a small one. Then the hard part, make 2 holes in the bottom sides front and back and top front and back for air flow. I would just make them about the size of a pencil. Wait a few hours see where you temp is. Then we just would add another hole at the bottom and top and wait to see where the temp went. After about 2 days it finally was at around 100.6 and we stopped let it run for another day then added the eggs. I have used this for 7 hatches and only had 1 temp spike. That was because I had my 5 yr old grandson and I think he turned it on high and I didn't notice.

 

[willowcol]

Sorry just wanted to ad the plastic tote might not be insulated enough and I think wrapping the eggs would cause it to over heat if it came in direct contact with the heating pad. Also make sure its a older heating pad, the new ones have an auto shut off function.